And Then, Her Arrival Complicated Things Further
by TheNyrusDragoon
Summary: The end of another school year at Sobu. Mostly uneventful but I'm not complaining. No, I'm busy dealing with something else, as a ghost from my past, someone I'd almost completely forgotten about, comes back to haunt me and disrupt my loner lifestyle. At least, I wish she were a ghost, then I could at least act like she wasn't there and keep her from embarrassing me.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU**

"I'm home."

No response. Strange. Komachi usually beat me home, as I had the Service Club to attend to on most days, and I was especially late getting home today. As the final day of my second year, I'd been forced to endure a "small" gathering following the end of the school day at a nearby cafe. I would've hightailed it outta there using my Stealth Hikki like an Abra in a **cave[1],** but there wasn't much I could do to escape, not when a certain sly, foxy kouhai, was specifically trying to make sure I didn't get away, assisted by a well-endowed airhead and her best friend, the Ice Queen.

Yeah, Isshiki had the gall to visit the club yesterday and request that we come for, what was it, _emotional support_. Yes, despite the list of invited guests being primarily made up of people Isshiki was friendly and familiar with, as well as the vice president and secretary, she still made sure that we showed up. Something about "inviting a diverse crowd of students from Sobu" or some crack and bull like that. I wasn't really paying attention to her when she told us, I was far too busy scoping the place out for potential escape routes. But as it was an official club request, Yukinoshita and Yiugahama also made it their job to keep me there. Eugh.

Whatever. I may not have been able to leave early, but at least the food was free. And I managed to avoid that blonde bastard, too.

…

What's this? Me looking towards the positives? Oh no. I knew being forced into social interaction would screw with my head. See what you've done, you stupid females? I think I need to lie down.

But back to what I said before. Yeah, I'd made sure that I avoided Hayama specifically. Not that I wouldn't do so under normal circumstances, it's just that I'd been avoiding him for over a week now. Things weren't awkward between us, but he kept trying to get me to talk alone with him whenever he could come up with a reason for us to be alone together.

Things had been like this ever since he confessed to me about his undying love last week.

…

NO. I didn't mean it _that_ way! Sorry, but that's not happening, not in this life. Sorry to shoot down your favourite ship down again Ebina, but I hate the guy.

No, last week he had asked me before class to meet him on the room during lunch. Not really wantin to be alone with the damn riajuu bastard, I had attempted to make multiple excuses behind why it wouldn't happen, but he'd anticipated them and worked to avoid them. Kawasomething, who occasionally ate lunch up there had been asked by him to vacate it and he'd already told his little clique that he had to ask another teacher something about his homework. Not being able to come up with an adequate excuse at that moment, I agreed.

When I got up there, he went on a little tirade about how he isn't the constantly easygoing and cool guy he made himself out to be. That there were pressures on him due to who he was and his family name, blah blah blah. Not like he hadn't already shared this info with me. Asshat Hayama used Feels Speech. It does not effect the Hikigaya... **[2]**

Wait. Two Pokemon references on one page? Wow, I'm losing my edge or at least the author is. Gotta branch out more.

Anyway, what really got my attention was his little confession, or at least, what he said afterwards in regards to it...

* * *

" _I'm in love with Yukinoshita Yukino."_

 _I could only stare at him, wondering why the hell he was telling me this, all the while he returned my gaze with one of... expectation? What do you want me to do, you moron? To say congratulations, your welcome, good for you? Stick out my fist and fistbump you in celebration? I couldn't give a damn about your feelings, and if you're going to try and brave the blizzard that is Sobu High's resident Ice Queen, who am I to comment?_

" _Right... And I'm supposed to care because?" I said, raising an eyebrow after a few moments of silence._

 _I really didn't care. Sure, there was this weird feeling in my gut, but I'd also been late for school and had to miss out on Komachi's awesome breakfast in order to make it on time and avoid Sensei's wrath. So that was probably what was causing it._

" _I don't want you to be around her unless you have to," he spoke firmly, not unlike a father reaffirming a rule to his stupid child. "She's been through enough growing up, and the last thing she needs is her name run through the mud because of you and your... schemes."_

 _Unbelievable. That crap hadn't just come out of his mouth. And, seriously, schemes? I'm not my sister. She's the schemer, all I've done is solve the issues brought to my attention as a member of the Service Club._

 _Seriously, what the fuck?_

" _I'm going to confess to her," -he was still going? Damn, he could talk- "and her family, to let them all know how serious I am about her, and how I want to make her happy. But first..."_

 _His gaze hardened, and he took a step towards me. What? You trying to stare me down? I've been looked down upon too many times for some riajuu like you to intimidate me._

" _I need to know," he was almost whispering now. "What it is you feel for Yukino."_

…

 _Oh?_

… _._

* * *

No more was said between us after he'd done the verbal equivalent to opening Pandora's Box and let loose those words into the air.

Me running off and back towards my homeroom probably had something to do with that.

But what was I supposed to do!? He'd caught me off guard with that! I'd expected something strange but not something that ridiculous!

And, since then, he'd been trying to get an answer out of me, but I continued to prevail, avoiding him at every turn.

...

What? My answer? I'm... I'd rather not think about that...

…

Bah! Whatever, a problem for another day, school was over for a while now, meaning I wouldn't have to see his stupid mug for a few weeks. I could try to think of a solution to this, but I promised good ol' Vita-chan to spend more time with her once school was over. I don't make a lot of promises but I try to keep the few that I make, at least.

After removing my shoes, I stretch my arms out, heading towards the stairs. Time to make my way up to my room and rela-

…

That noise... What is that? The shower? Huh. I guess Komachi's home after a-

...

Another pause. No. No way.

There, lying on the floor of the lounge, thown open as if the owner had been in a rush, with more of it's contents littered around it, was a dark purple suitcase, decorated with gaudy souvenir travel stickers.

The same suitcase my parents got for my sister once they found out she'd won a trip to travel the globe.

I can only stare at the damn thing. There was no way she was back already. She was supposed to be in Bosnia, or something, right?! How was she here so fast? This must be the work of an enemy stand! **[3]**

Maybe I should have stayed in touch with her so I would at least know when she'd arrive, because there's no way in hell anyone else would've told me.

God dammit. At least have the decency to not cover half of the lounge floor with your crap, will you, woman?

I turn towards the bathroom, the pattering of the shower water coming to a halt.

"Yo, Tomoka, is that you?"

A few seconds of silence.

"Yup!" I hear her energised response all the way from the bathroom. Not surprised, considering how much of a loudmouth she is. "Feel free to leap into my arms!~"

"... No thanks." **[4]**

I quickly make my way to my room. Last thing I need is her interrogating me about my school year.

"Hey, Hachiman!~"

I freeze, halfway up the stairs, my door so close, yet so far, almost mocking me for my inability to reach the safety sealed within. _You're too slow!_ **[5]**

I turn back to face the bottom of the stairs, letting out a sigh of resignation as I do so. I realise I've been doing that a lot lately.

Her head was poking out from the hallway that lead to the bathroom.

Dark, messy hair that normally fell just below her shoulders had been tied into a quick and messy bun, water still dripping from it, grey eyes that shined with a strange mixture of youth and wisdom and a grin that promised nothing but mischief.

Yukinoshita Haruno may have been a demon super woman, but she had nothing on this woman here, who is something even worse.

Her name? Hikigaya Tomoka. My older sister.

"Komachi-chan's told me some _interesting_ thing's, little brother," she smirked.

Oh. Oh, no. Please, no, Tomo-nee, if you hold any love for your brother, you won't listen to a word Komachi said. I can only hope she didn't say what I think she said.

"What things, if I may ask?" I reply, trying to keep my cool. If I slip once, she'll pounce and have my neck in a vice grip.

"Oh, I'll dive into the details with you soon," she pulled her head back, beginning to make her way elsewhere so she could finish getting changed, most likely Komachi's room.

Nothing too major out of that troublesome mouth of hers yet. Maybe I would get away in time? Or had my defenses grown significantly enough for me to withstand her usual attacks? Alright, time to get away!

"But I wanna hear all about these... club members she kept on mentioning." I could hear the smirk in her tone. "I'll be up in your room in about ten minutes."

…

Well. I'm screwed.

 **[1] Abra are infamous among Pokemon fans, as they can only Teleport away from you, making them a little hard to catch at first**

 **[2] What happens when a Pokemon is attacked with a move that has no effect on them**

 **[3] Stands. You should know what I'm referring to.**

 **[4] What Houtarou and Tomoe say to each other once the latter returns home at the start of the Hyouka OVA**

 **[5] Sonic's infamous taunt in Super Smash Bros Brawl**

 **Alright, let me just be clear, I'm very new to this. This whole thing in general is kinda crack, and I'm still trying to figure out the ending.**

 **I'll be honest. My original idea was to have an old friend of the 8man's show up at Sobu and start derailing his lifestyle with her very existence. About a week after that idea came to mind, I discovered the story Shiori-san to Hikigaya-kun by Veltus. A great read, I recommend it regardless of what you ship, or whatever. Despite that, I was a little sad that the premise had been used already, but at least glad it was used for a great story.**

 **But that left me without an idea. It's not like I couldn't write about it at all, but I didn't see the point when Veltus had started one that amazing. And I'm a noob at this story writing thing.**

 **So I just thought I'd put a spin on it. I wanted Hachiman to care a little more about the friend than he did other people, and the one group of people he'll always value is family.**

 **So Tomoka became his sister.**

 **But I needed to differentiate her from Komachi and explain her absence. I happened to be watching Hyouka at the time, and figured, "hey, what if his sister was like Houtarou's?"**

 **So she was made older and more carefree than Hachiman, whereas Komachi is younger and hella more responsible than he is.**

 **So a lot of Hikigaya Tomoka's attributes will be drawn automatically from Oreki Tomoe, right down to the names. Tomoe – e + ka = Tomoka.**

 **Yeah, not great with japanese names, but I may as well put it out there and be transparent with the fact that Tomoka is one great reference to Oreki Tomoe. Or ripoff, whatever floats your boat.**

 **I'd say more about her character but I want to let that through during the story. I'll try to have the next chapter up this coming week.**

 **Don't expect a masterpiece, for your own sake, but any and all criticism is welcome, especially in regards to characterization. I'm afraid Hachiman might come off as a little different with Tomoka around, and I can already tell the start of this chapter is a little rambly, with a random flashback for good measure.**

 **Ah, well. Good day~**

 **Edit: Sage the Mystic Maven, your advice has been heeded.**


	2. Chapter 2

"So, how has my little brother been doing?"

"..."

"..."

"..."

"... Hachiman?"

"Hm ?"

"When I ask you a question, I kinda expect a response."

"Funny," I muttered, head down. "I thought the same thing after you left the first time."

"Excuse me?" I could just imagine the irritated eyebrow raise. I shake my head.

"Nothing, just, you know... rambling."

"... right..."

Good grief, that's a lot of ellipses. They couldn't be more appropriate, however, as they did rather adequately describe our current relationship. I had wondered how long her little teasing game would last before the resulting awkwardness of not having talked to each other all that much over the last few years set in, and boy, did I get my answer. Here I was, lying on my bed, reading another fantasy light novel, before she burst in, perched herself on the foot of my bed and asked me one question. And that was all that happened before the impending cloud of awkward doom descended upon us, the teasing, almost jovial air that had surrounded her earlier dissipating with the steam from her shower.

Things between us were worse than I'd expected.

It's not like I couldn't sense the possible meaning in between the lines of her question though. It was a fifty-fifty thing: either she asked because she was genuinely curious or she was asking me to take the first step to rebuilding thing's between us by slowly opening up about my year.

Oh, Tomoka. I so dearly want to believe the former, but my own beliefs, as well your actions for the past few years, have forced me to seriously consider the latter.

"Hachiman."

I look up from the novel in my hands, trying to act like I hadn't been reading the same line over and over again, distracting myself from the situation. Dead fish eyes met grey ones, and I was almost surprised by the exasperation in them.

"I-I wanted to talk to you abo-"

BANG.

I sat up at the sudden noise coming from downstairs, Tomoka stiffening as her head whipped in the direction of my own door, which was immediately followed by an almost obnoxiously loud voice.

"Onii-chan! Your adorable imouto is back from school!"

Huh? Oh, right. Komachi's back. The bang must've been the sound of the front door being slammed against the wall in response to her... shall we say, enthusiasm. Tomoka let out a small gasp at the sound of our adorable little sister, grey eyes widening before she bounded off of my bed and out the door. I also picked up my imouto's gasp from downstairs. She'd probably come across Tomoka's little mess downstairs.

Thanks, Komachi, your timing was disturbingly perfect, almost as if you waited outside in the harsh outdoors and endured purely for the sake of bursting in and keeping Tomoka from actually talking to me. You should be proud, especially considering the amount of Komachi points this will undoubtedly earn you.

I quickly yank my pillow up and shove my face into the bed sheet, covering my ears with the pillow, preparing for the onslaught of high-pitched cries. My body is ready. **[1]**

"ONEE-CHAN!"

"KOMACHI-CHAN!"

… Well, I might've still heard it, but at least it was at a low enough volume so that it wouldn't leave my hearing permanently damaged. I wait a bit before removing the pillow and lifting my head from the bed, tentative enough so that I could pick up any warning that the two might go back to screaming in excitement again. Nope. Nothing. The two were either conversing in volumes acceptable for the human ear or simply hugging each other, though I was leanly more to the latter, given how loud the two were even when simply making small talk.

I would never understand the need to quite literally squeal in excitement. Does participating briefly make your ears immune to the intensely damaging sound wave you release, as well as any other similar sounds in the vicinity? That's the kind of stuff scientists should really be studying.

I get and make my way to the door. Since this is Tomoka's first day back here, she and Komachi will be too busy catching up to make dinner or anything, so I may as well start now and get it over with.

* * *

Dinner was rather normal.

Mom and Dad actually somehow made it home a little earlier than usual. Something about making up for it with more work the next day? I didn't know jobs could work like that, and if my dream comes true, I'll never have to, but I guess their respective bosses could let them off early for one day, given how diligent they usually are. Three guesses as to why they showed up so early, and the first two are completely wrong.

Yeah, they came for Tomoka, their beloved first born. They came in, put down their respective suitcases and instantly rushed her, enveloping her and Komachi in a group hug. Yes, my parents showing affection and emotion through physical contact, probably one of the most disturbing things I've ever seen. Sure, a part of me is a little miffed that I might never get treated that way, a very small, very dead part of my person, but I'm glad I wasn't in that little random encounter. I'm more than sure that I would've been knocked out in that one opening turn.

However, Tomoka's return that wasn't the first surprise for them to come home to, as their initially frozen expressions revealed that they certainly weren't expecting me to cook either. Although, I was quick to let them know that physical expressions of affection weren't acceptable and that I wasn't afraid to ward them off with whichever kitchen utensil happened to be in my hands at the time of attack. They backed off, thank goodness, although, whereas Dad just shrugged and went back to converse with his beloved daughters, Mom looked sorta put out.

Weirdo.

Anyway, like I said before, Dinner wasn't too different from any other day, aside from the presence of our entire family instead of just Komachi and I. Us Hikigaya's tend to focus more on the food during dinner instead of each other, so there was nothing to hear but all five of us chewing and the occasional comment on how good my curry was.

And now, I'm up here in my room. Mom, Komachi and Tomoka are downstairs, still chatting up a storm, Dad retiring to bed immediately after he was done eating. I did the same, but I'm just lying on my stomach on my bed, staring at the wall.

I can't even bring myself to read. Too distracted.

It's coming. May as well wait for it instead of avoiding it.

* * *

There's a rapping at my door.

"Hachiman."

"Come in," I reply without looking away from the wall.

She does so, closing the door behind her. I don't hear her move.

"Where's Komachi?"

"... Studying."

Wow. Doesn't she sound cheery?

"What do you want?"

Stupid question, Hachiman, you know why she's here.

"... To say I'm sorry."

I grit my teeth. "What for? It's not like you could do anything wrong, being on the other side of the world and everythi-"

"Oh, _don't_ lie to me, Hachiman, don't you dare!"

"Don't know what you mean."

The world seemed to spin as I was grabbed by the shoulder and pulled off the bed and on to my feet. I staggered, trying to regain my balance before her hands suddenly found my collar and I was forced to face my sister.

Tomoka's eyes glistened, tears threatening to pour at any moment, her natural beauty marred by the mess of emotion on her face, the downward curve of her frown. It's been a while since I've seen her like this, and the shock of seeing such raw emotion on her features kept me silent long enough for her to find her voice and begin speaking.

"I... I'm sorry, Hachiman," she chokes out in a strangled tone, balled fists still clutching at my collar, shaking as she tried to remain calm.

I wait a moment as she takes a breathe, eyes closed, before I open my mouth.

"What for, Tomoka?" I make sure not to let any emotion drip into the words this time, to drive the bitterness away for now and let her answer. I want to hear a straight answer from her, just as much as she wants to give me one. I wait another moment.

"... For leaving like how I did," she whispers this time, eyes opening, still shining as they stare at me in sadness and regret. I open my mouth but she cuts me off again.

"Don't, Hachiman. I've already lied to myself enough times, made enough excuses as to why I abandoned you like that. There's nothing to say other than that I'm sorry and that I'll try to make it up to you, even if it takes the rest of our lives for you to forgive me and for us to be like real siblings again. At least, not unless you want to hear more."

We stare at each other a few seconds more before I pry her hands off of my shirt, gaze shooting to the side. I lower our hands but I'm careful not to let go of hers.

"I need more than that, Tomoka," I mutter, refusing to meet her eyes this time. "You up and left without telling me. Mom and Dad knew, Komachi knew, Hell I wouldn't be surprised if Kamakura knew, but no one told me until you were already out of the country. I just want to know..."

I feel her tense up, but only slightly, my own anxiety at her answer proving to be a slight distraction.

"... Did I drive you away? Was I too much?"

There. I said it. I've kept those words buried inside me for years, ever since the first time you left, and I feel strange hearing them come out of my mouth. But that's only half the challenge.

 _What's your answer, Tomoka?_

…

"... Maybe..."

My shoulders droop at that. I figured. My older sister, my only friend other than Komachi, driven by her annoying little brother, by _my_ clingyness.

"But," she raises her voice slightly this time. "That's not entirely your fault, maybe not even partially yours."

I want to laugh at that. That doesn't make any sense.

"You were a kid, Hachiman, a child, and I can't fault you for that, for going through what you were and relying on your older sister as a result..."

…

"I should've done my part, and instead I left you to deal with your troubles alone, travelling the world and having fun, acting like my dear baby brother wasn't suffering here at home."

"I wasn't- I," I stuttered. Yes, stuttered. I wasn't expecting this, I'd steeled myself for an attack, not an ambush. I fail to get another word out as she pushes a single finger to my lips, a small, sad smile coming to her lips.

"I've already told you, Hachiman, you don't need to lie for my sake, nor do you need to hide behind this... this _idea_ that you've always been as resilient as you are now.

"I know being rejected and hated by your peers has been hard for you, especially when you were young, when you were so eager to present yourself and what you could do to the world. I guess I was, too. But whereas you wanted to grow and flourish for your own good, that small, despicable, rotten part of me was... glad... happy for you to leave me and find some other people to occupy your time. I was selfish, am selfish, despite how much I love you. When you were rejected over and over again, I was frustrated. I wanted you to succeed for both our sake, for your peers to see the beautiful soul that I see, but I also wanted you to branch out from me. Relying on your family as your only company couldn't be healthy, but I wanted my space back. With you constantly there... I don't know... I don't know why I found your constant presence as a negative... The lament of a selfish teenager going through an angsty phase... And... after what happened with your little confession... I couldn't handle you, when you needed me the most to comfort you and take care of you... I ran, I took the chance to leave the moment I could and I ignored you when you tried to talk to me and then I have the _gall_ to come back and act like nothing's wrong and..."

The tears had long since spilled down over her cheeks during her little rant. I probably could've counted the number of times she took a breathe on one hand. Once again, I wait to let her finish.

"... I've never regretted anything more in my life, Hachiman," she let out after a few sniffs. "I'm so sorry. If I could take it back-"

I cut her off this time, looking away as I do so. "Don't waste your breathe on what-ifs, Tomo-nee. You know how I feel about those."

Tomoka sniffs again. "I know. But I can't help it. I might've been able to keep you from becoming..." she gestured at me awkwardly. "... this..."

"Oh, come on, I've already got Komachi hounding me to change... Don't need you joining that little hunt."

Tomoka smiles a little through the tears, letting out one of her signature giggles. "True."

She tilts her head a little, staring at me in that adoring way I haven't seen since before she left. Actually, it's starting to make me a little uncomfortable.

"What?" Her smile stretches at the question.

"Tomo-nee?" she whispers. "So... subconsciously forgiven me, have you, little brother?"

It takes me a second to realize what she's said. My eyes widen slightly as I try to come up with a reply.

"I... Well, like I said earlier... I-I, Y-You didn't have to apologize-"

I'm cut off again, Tomoka stepping forward to hug me as another giggle escapes her. I blink before I return the embrace. I feel a small smile come to my face. We stay silent for a few moments more before she begins to speak again, voice muffled as she has her face buried in my shoulder.

"I don't think I'll ever be able to make it up to you. But I promise to be there for you whenever necessary, and then some." She pulls away slightly to look at me, eyes searching for... something. " _I promise._ "

"That's one Hell of a promise to live up to," I say raising an eyebrow.

"The end result is worth Hell," she responds firmly, a determined look on her face now. "I want my brother back, but as I'm the one who pushed him away, I'll have to earn that relationship if it's going to mean anything."

"You're being ridiculous," is all I can say. I've pretty much forgiven her. Do I need to say it out loud? Very well. "I forgive you. Your my sister, at the end of the day. We're supposed to be a little hostile with each other sometimes. And I'm at fault, too."

"Whatever, little brother," she goes right back to hugging me tight. I feel one of her hands reach up and start playing with my hair. Oh, crap. I forgot about how much she loves playing with my and Komachi's hair. She's buttering me up for something... But what?!

She lets out a small sigh of contentment before speaking again. "Just don't lie to me about being okay with something I've done that's hurt you, okay? We're going to be a lot more honest with each other from now on. We'll need to be if we can get to where I want us to be. And what I want for us...

" _I want it to be genuine."_

…

…

...

No way. There's no way she just said that, that's way too corny. I've got to do something to get rid of this warm, lovey-dovey, family-friendly atmosphere, it's strangling me. Oh, no. I can't move, can't speak, too shocked to do anything. C'mon, Tomoka! Say something else, some crack pot line to embarrass me or make me uncomfortable, even! Hearing that word come out of my own mouth was horrible enough, but it's somehow worse coming from you! C'mon, speak! Just something so we don't end this little scene with something straight out of a fluff story! Please, my internal voice is crying out for mercy, screaming and begging!

"... and you still owe me a talk about these club mates of yours~."

…

Seriously?

* * *

 **[1] Reggie Fils-Aime's (in)famous line during E3. Which one?*shrugs***

 **I'm gonna sound like Tomoka with how many times I say sorry, but I'm so sorry for this delay. There was some... shit going on here and work and stuff and blah blah blah. Whatever. What matters is that it's out, even though I said it'd come out earlier. Sorry for the wait.**

 **I'm probably not gonna promise a specific day of release from this point on, but I'll be keeping up with this story, don't worry.**

 **Seriously though, 47 favourites, 70 follows and 27 reviews as of posting this?! I'm honestly touched. Didn't expect such a positive response to some crappy first chapter from a newbie to the writing portion of this site, but I'll take it.**

 **Thank you all so much.**

 **I know 8man seems a little more... lenient(?) here in regards to forgiving Tomoka, but, hey, it's his sister. And he's used to it.**

 **I wanted to use this as a way to explain in-universe why 8man would be a little miffed if his sister just suddenly turned up at home. Don't worry, this pitiful attempt at family drama probably won't show up again, if not, for a while. It's all fluff and fun from here on out.**

 **NOW! Review Responses!**

 **Pewdepew – Thank you! I hope you liked, and that you're curiosity is somehow sated!**

 **Lord of Admirals 412 – I definitely hope the interactions I write will be entertaining. Age? Early twenties, I'm sure, I'll state it clearly in a future chapter, don't worry, you're not an idiot. Hope you enjoyed!**

 **Guren Mk. 2 – Don't fret, I continued! And, yeah, may as well clear this up, no Yukinoshita family arc. If they show up, it'll be for some funny interaction involving Tomoka. At least, I hope it's funny. Thanks for reading!**

 **jam99chgo - … I don't want to spoil anything... But there's not going to be any particular pairing in this... I can't write romance for shit, and even then, I'd probably write something with Saki just because there's already so many good Yukino ones out there and I need more SakiSaki. Not my fave character, but she's up there! Miura, too!**

 **Fan Critic Alert – While the warning wasn't entirely necessary since I was pretty much waiting for the guy, I very much appreciate it and the compliments!**

 **ArmantusCumPinnae - … LET'S HOPE IT DOESN'T CRASH AND BURN!**

 **Sage the Mystic Maven – I'm the type of moron to write about something I know nothing about. Thanks for pointing that out, I'll fix that asap!**

 **Fanfic Critic – I hope readers of this story find it half as entertaining as I found your review. If so, mission accomplished.**

 **wldarms13 – Glad you like it, hope you enjoyed this chapter**

 **Guest (who posted twice because s/he posted it while they were still typing) – There are stories with this premise? I need to look harder... And I appreciate your point, I think I have to agree. Ah, well. Maybe another time, perhaps? Regardless, I'm very thankful for this advice, cheers.**

 **Ggnore – Here it is! Hope you like!**

 **Drake Draco – Yep. I'd like to see that too...**

 **Sate – I hope it is, my friend, I hope it is...**

 **ignore dicktic – Thanks for that! Like I said before, the warning's unnecessary but I very much appreciate it. And don't worry, I've continued.**

 **foreman371 – Agreed.**

 **Predator7 – You're onto something there. And I'm not to sure what you mean by that last part, sorry?**

 **RalphZiggy – Meh, the challenge won't be too big a part of the story, really there more for a conflict starter, but the fact that he thinks he can just do it when he probably can't is important, just probably not for the reason you think it is...**

 **DarkerMS – Yeah, gotta love that Hyouka magic. Hope you enjoyed this.**

 **OmegaEleven – Yeah, I couldn't help but compare the two when I first watched Hyouka. Somehow ended up here after a bunch of crazy ideas mish mashed together. And I hope Tomoka's got half the trashing game Tomoe showed during that chat convo.**

 **NPwall – Glad you think so and I hope you liked this chapter!**

 **FireHero – Thanks! And yeah, I just love both shows so much!**

 **TouMikasa – Loving it already? Wow. And no, romance will be teased at the most, because I suck ass at writing it. Glad to have another Hyouka fan onboard and I hope you enjoyed this. Thanks for reading!**

 **silu785 – Thanks, hope you liked!**

 **s Murd3rf4c3 – Nice name. And I updated :P**

 **hikigaya – Thanks for reading, although didn't you write that one thing where Yui was Hachiman's sister? So, yeah, the above Guest was right there are other stories out there with a similar premise.**

 **TheLaughingStalk akaCuckSlayer - *new. Otherwise, cheers for the read.**

 **Thank you for reading!**


	3. Chapter 3

"Oh, how about this one? Isn't it cute?"

"..."

"Hachimaaaaaan..."

"... It'd look good with your pink headband, I guess..."

"Gasp! Did you just suggest the basis for a future outfit? Aw, Hachiman, I knew Komachi had been playing up your numerous bad qualities. Hah! I bet that earned me a bunch of Tomoka points!~"

I can't believe I just said that. And I can't believe you actually said the word gasp. And that you've adopted Komachi's point system.

Bleh.

So here we are, my older sister and I, at the mall, me standing here trying not to make eye contact with anyone while Tomoka is trying on different pairs of sunglasses. We're here to go shopping, if you were wondering. Or at least, she's shopping and has dragged me along because Komachi had already made plans for a sleepover with a friend and had been picked up earlier this morning. Aren't you meant to attend for sleepovers in the evening, or even the afternoon at the earliest? Meh, I wouldn't know, never been to one.

Regardless, while being forced to shop with her was a painful experience in itself, at least I wouldn't have to endure the two of them together. Don't get me wrong, I love both of my sister's, but having to deal with the both of them would be like taking on Mother Brain without the Hyper Beam. **[1]**

I wouldn't stand a chance. I'd pretty much be destined to fall, regardless of my efforts.

They'd had another long chat during breakfast, anyways. Disturbingly enough, the topic wasn't one I was too thrilled about, so, while they went on and on and on, I busied myself with my scrambled eggs.

The topic of the day was Yukinoshita and Yuigahama. Yeah.

I'd initially refused to talk to Tomoka about them, but, because my stupidly illogical affection for my sisters, I eventually described them to her. Believe me, all I did was what basically amounted to a video online of a character overview of an anime character, me explaining their basic personalities, likes, dislikes, all that jazz.

Of course, that wasn't enough for the damn woman, because that's just how things work in my life.

I had to sit there and endure Tomoka's teasing while Komachi filled her in on the two girls, whilst revealing that she was disturbingly aware of even some minute and personal details in regards to them, like Yuigahama's closet love for sticker designs (which explains how that damn sign outside the clubroom has gotten so colourful recently) and Yukinoshita's tea preference. I tuned the conversation out at the mention of the latter. I'd rather not know something about her that she didn't reveal herself, as the price I'd pay for not doing so would probably involve some form of bodily harm and a threat involving reporting my 'perverted ways' to the authorities.

Seriously, first time she's home in months and your going to waste your time talking about something like that?

Anyway, with Komachi occupied, my dear and considerate older sister had decided I would be the one to accompany her to the mall. Having been away for about three years, with small pop ins to Chiba every now and then, she hadn't been able to visit the mall in a long while, and the nostalgia factor had been enough reason for her to go and blow a bunch of money she'd managed to save.

So, after getting dressed in my usual attire and waiting another half hour for her to get dressed up (in a pink cardigan and soft yellow sundress with her hair down, for those who care), we set off for the mall.

I'll never understand the desire to visit places from the past or the urge to buy anything that looks like it may even remotely benefit you. Is it surprising, given my history, that there aren;t very many places that can get such a reaction from me? No, of course not. Ah, at least Tomoka hadn't done what I'd expect most plebian females to do and blow it all at the first three clothing stores she came across.

…

Speaking of, why do malls feel the need to equip so many different clothing outlets?

"Because money talks, dummy," Tomoka said, as she tried on another pair of sunglasses. No, Tomo-nee, please, not those. _Neon_ pink? Weren't the yellow ones bad enough? Why are you still looking through them, I already told you to get the baby pink ones! Do you want the Hikigaya household to disown you?! Wait a minute.

"Oh. Did I ask that out loud?"

"Yes, you did," she answered again, removing the sunglasses and shoving them back onto the little rack where the rest were held. "And I'm sure Mom and Dad wouldn't disown me over something so trivial. If they were pink _and_ heart shaped like what you see in american music videos, then yes they would, and I wouldn't blame them. But I figured even you with your sharp yet dull eyes would clearly see why so many outlets in one area would sell the same product. I have to agree that the redundancy is pretty stupid, but that's how things are!"

"Oi, I don't mind the insult, but could you keep it down, the employees are giving us fishy glances."

"Probably because you've had your hands in your pockets ever since we arrived?" she casually continued, now rifling through a selection of cell phone covers. "Those pockets are certainly big enough to contain more than a few of the items that occupy those shelves just over there."

"What?" Please, Tomoka, stop bringing attention to us with comments like that! We've already had a bunch of guys drooling over you in every store! I don't need attention, that's what you're supposed to do! "Tomo-nee, can you not-"

"Don't _worry_ , Hachiman," she shot me another smile. "I'm just playing around. And anyone who wants to confront you and call you a creep is gonna have to go through me."

And with that sudden statement, Tomoka saunters off to the check out counter, humming some random tune.

Good grief, girl. You keep saying stuff that cheesy I'm going to start avoiding you like the plague.

* * *

And now, we're shoe shopping.

What? Expecting some monologue on how useless shoe shopping is? While I agree with the point, considering we shouldn't require more than, at the most, two pairs of shoes, one pair to wear for practical situations like required physical activity, like walking, and another for more formal events, like a family reunion you've been forced to attend, I can't really focus on mustering up more than a general opinion on the matter, seeing as how Tomoka's managed to wipe out whatever strength my usual dose of Maxx has provided me with.

Her usual teasing is bad enough but with the public setting and the particular things she's said combined with the stores she's decided to let the words out in, I'm trying really hard not collapse from the weight of embarrassment she's laying on me. I normally wouldn't care, but I think anyone would be mortified to point of wishing to be turned into stone so they could feel no longer just so they could forget the kind of things she's said today.

Like what she asked me in the lingerie section of a women's clothing store.

* * *

" _Do you think this would good on me, Hachiman?"_

" _..."_

" _... Hachiman?"_

" _..."_

" _Hachiman, people are staring. You should probably just answer."_

" _You don't think maybe they might be staring because you announced your arrival to the entire store and how you_ specifically mentioned _how I was the greatest little brother because I was buying?!"_

" _True. I guess the younger sibling being the one to make the purchase is a tad strange..."_

" _Geh! Idiot! It's because we're siblings!"_

" _Oh, right. I guess letting you see the undergarments I use is rather perverted..."_

" _Why do you look disappointed by that?!"_

" _Oh, Hachiman, don't be so boring, you know I like a little crude humour.~"_

* * *

Damn. I really wish I hadn't forgotten about that little habit of hers, making herself come off as a total brocon to anyone who was watching. It's even worse than when we were younger because I'm a teenager now, making the idea more likely. My repulsive nature and dead fish eyes don't help the image.

I really got to stop referring to my own eyes using the words 'dead' and 'fish.'

Anyway, back to what I had started with, we're shoe shopping now. At least, Tomoka is, like I said, she shops and drags me around for the ride. She's gone off to pay for the pair she liked most (some rather fancy looking sandals, I don't know what else to say about them) and I'm just standing here outside the store, leaning on a wall and trying not to look too suspicious while I wait for her.

I am currently failing.

Stop looking at me! If you think I'm up to something, bigshot, come up to me and say it! Actually, don't. Those situations usually end in violence and my current level of strength isn't exactly up to par. You won't see me pulling a Saitama anytime soon.

Dammit. My Stealth Hikki abilities have been all wonky recently! It must be Tomoka! Yes! Her Tomo-nee mind is radiating brainwaves engineered for the specific purpose of screwing me over and locating me when I want to be left alone. That must be it! How else could she have found me hiding under Komachi's bed and made me come shopping with her?

I'm getting deja va. Come to think of it, today hasn't been that different from what I've done in recent weekends, except the one dragging me around is usually a certain foxy-

"SENPAI!"

Fuck you, romcom gods.

I struggle to catch myself, one leg thrust out to balance, as a weight is suddenly pushed against my side, my arm crushed between the grip of my demon fox kouhai. Speak of the devil and fuck my luck.

"Senpai," Isshiki says breathlessly, eyes alight with a disturbing amount of youthful energy. Oi, Irohas, don't look at me like that! Sure, while such a look would make any male plebeian teenage normalfag fall to their knees, and I am far from such a thing, I'm not entirely immune to their effect! I am still a teenager after all. "It's nice to see you! I was just thinking about what we could do on our next practice date. What are you doing here, anyway?"

"Well, I was just out shopping wi-"

A mischievous grin makes its way to her face as she goes on, cutting me off. "What are you waiting outside a store like this for, Senpai?" Her smile widened, but it did little to help my peace of mind. It no longer reached her eyes. "You wouldn't happen to be shopping with some... innocent young maiden, would you?"

I think I might actually start sweating soon. "Actually, I-"

"Sorry for making you wait, Hachiman, you wanna grab a bite to-"

My neck almost clicks with how fast my head swivels from Isshiki to Tomoka, while Isshiki does the same, blinking in surprise at the sound of someone calling me by my given name.

Tomoka's just standing there, hands clutching at a shopping bag, presumably holding her newly purchased shoes, mouth wide open in mid sentence, grey eyes staring in surprise at the scene before her.

I promise, Tomo-nee, I wasn't doing anything dirty! So please, go easy on me, lower the intensity of your insults and give your brother a break! If you really love me like you claim to be, then make this quick!

"... Who is this?"

Isshiki and I glance at each other, before she quickly unlatches herself from me, hands flying to position behind her back, and retreats to a distance I'm more comfortable with. Now I'm confused. What the Hell? She's never done that, not even on the rare occasion that Yukinoshita and Yuigahama find us in such a position. I turn back to Tomoka.

 _Whoa._

She's just staring at Isshiki. Barely even blinking. No quips, no teasing, no nothing. She's just watching her, shoulders tense, as if Isshiki might pounce on her and attack.

An old memory resurfaces and, armed with the knowledge contained within, something clicks inside my head as I realize what it is Tomoka is doing.

She's _judging_ her.

Oh no. I'm sorry, Isshiki, my poor, foxy kouhai. But you're beyond the reaches of my feeble power. You're in my sister's clutches now. You can only hope she'll be merciful.

"H-Hello," Isshiki stutters out quickly. Can't blame her, that empty stare can be freaky. "My name is Isshiki Iroha. I was just greeting my upperclassman, Hikigaya H-Hachiman, as I was surprised to see him here at the mall. It's n-nice to meet you. How do you know each other?"

Wow, Tomoka. You can't just do that, just come in here to Chiba and make my kouhai spout out disturbingly formal nonsense. And Isshiki, you literally just met my sister and you're already intimidated? I thought being around Yukinoshita would've made you a little tougher in regards to older females. I know I just said I don't blame you, but I'm at least aware of what Tomoka can do. You could play the innocent and ingorant card like how you do with me.

"Good morning! There's no need to be so stiff, Isshiki-san! I am Hikigaya Tomoka, Hachiman's older sister!"

…

… what?

Tomo-nee, you're freaking me out!

Tomoka's wearing a thousand-watt smile right now, any traces of that stare now long gone. She's relaxed now, eyes all misty as if she were daydreaming. She approaches Isshiki and reaches a hand out to her.

"You mentioned that Hachiman was your senpai?" Her eyes dart to me. "Why, Hachiman, you didn't mention you had such an adorable kouhai."

Isshiki goes red at that, stuttering again as she confirms that she is my kouhai. I narrow my eyes at my sister, who responds by batting her eyelashes at me innocently. I know you're up to something, Tomo-nee. Don't think you're fooling me. You taught me what I know about people and their facades, so reading you will be nothing new.

"It's nice to know Hachiman's little... _social_ circle is expanding. Would you happen to be a part of this Service Club I've heard so much about from my darling imouto?"

Way to be subtle with your approach, Tomo-nee. Bet you can probably make out the sound of my imaginary sarcastic clapping.

"N-No, I'm not actually," Isshiki replies, some confidence returning to her tone as she tries to play off the fright she felt just seconds ago. "But, as Student Council President, I can say the Service Club has had a great impact on the school's students, a-and that they've even helped me out every now and then, Senpai especially."

Heh. Yeah, like doing at least half of your work can be considered helping every now and then, and what's with uncharacteristic praise?

Tomoka, on the other hand, is rather surprised to learn the young kouhai is the current Student Council President of Sobu High.

"You're the President?" A nod in reply. "Wow! And at such a young age! Your parents must be proud!"

"Yes, they were very surprised to hear that I'd won the election!"

Another feeling of deja vu takes over me again, as I stand there and endure listening to another conversation that somehow involved me yet didn't at the same time, this time between Tomoka and Isshiki. I stood there, just waiting for them to stop talking so I could find an opportune moment to cut in and stop it, but I quickly abandoned that plan, seeing as Tomoka was quick to silence me with a raised finger every time I so much as opened my mouth.

Eventually, they somehow got to talking about their plans for the day.

"I was just shopping with Hachiman here," Tomoka said with an amused smile in my direction. "Or at least, _trying_ to shop with Hachiman. He's so grouchy it's almost hard to enjoy the day!"

"Mou, he hasn't really been that bad has he?"

"He really has! He won't even fake it for me!" Tomoka then takes a moment to wipe a fake tear from her cheek. "My selfish baby brother refuses to do anything that would make his dear nee-chan happy. Oh, woe is me!" she wailed.

Drama queen. While Tomoka goes on and fakes cleaning her make-up, Isshiki turns to me.

"Senpai, I thought you'd have learned by now, if you're with a girl, whoever she is, whether or not she enjoys the location, no matter where it is, is the most important thing!"

Huh?

"Excuse me? You don't expect me to actually waste brain space on information as useless to me as that, do you?"

"Senpai," Isshiki face palms dramatically. "We've gone on how many practice dates by this point? If you aren't going to take responsibility and try to learn something while we're out together, I may as well stop taking you out!"

"That's fine with me. At least my weekends will be more enjoyable."

Isshiki lets out a sigh in response, muttering something about 'hopelessness.'

"... Practice dates?"

Oh, right. Tomoka's here.

…

… and she's got _that_ look on her face again. Except a cold smile is now stretched across her face.

I hear Isshiki shiver slightly. And you two were getting along so well, Irohas. Ah well.

"What are these... _practice dates_ you were referring to, Iroha-san?"

Oh, good. She didn't ask me.

"W-Well, S-Senpai and I have g-gone out on a few occasions," Isshiki manages. "He's done it as a favour for me, as a member of the Service Club, to prepare me for when I e-eventually ask out the... um, the object of m-my affections."

Impressive, Isshiki. I'd barely get out a word if my sister looked at me, no, glared at me like that.

"Right, right," Tomoka nodded, seemingly satisfied with her answer. Her head quickly swings to me. "Come, Hachiman, I just remembered there's something Okaa-san asked me to grab while we were out. We'd best go grab it now."

"What?" No reply from her, save for her grabbing my wrist and dragging me away. "That was out of nowhere! Tomoka. Tomoka!"

"See you around, Iroha-san." Hey! Don't ignore me, yet give Isshiki a farewell! Sure, it was rather dismissive, but at least you said something to her!

"G-Goodbye, Tomoka-san! It was nice to meet you!"

* * *

 _Practice dates? No. No, there's more to those occasions than what she's saying. Practice dates? What a joke of a facade. I'll give her points for that, though. How did someone as sly as her become President?_

"Hachiman," I say, still dragging my brother by his wrist as I head for the mall's exit. "How exactly did Iroha-san become President? She came across as somewhat ditzy to me."

Having abandoned any attempt to escape my clutches, Hachiman answers in his usual monotone drawl.

"She's a lot more sly and foxy than she initially appears."

I let out a noise of impatience. "I figured, Hachiman. No one naturally oozes that much cute appeal. That part of her bring an act was obvious." I ignore his noise of surprise, continuing my train of thought. "I asked how she managed to win over the school." I turn back to look at him, stopping in my tracks. "You didn't play a part in her earning that position, did you?"

He hesitates for a second. I narrow my eyes. He gulps at that, eyes darting elsewhere, causing a satisfied breathe to briefly escape me. Nice to know a few of the same old tricks still work on him.

"I may have helped... sway the masses," is all he says before he manages to finally look me in the eyes.

I shake my head and continue onward, releasing his wrist and gesturing for him to follow. "Fine. I won't pressure you for answers. Not knowing won't cause me to lose any sleep. But don't think I didn't see how that girl was acting around you."

"Oh?" I don't need to look back to know he's got an eyebrow raised. "And how was she acting, exactly, Tomo-nee?"

Another shake of the head is my response. "Never mind, baby brother. Never mind."

I look to the sky in thought as we end up outside and make our way back home.

 _Isshiki Iroha. You have feelings for my little brother, don't you?_

It was obvious, watching just a second of their interaction. Well, sort of. It was subtle but once you noticed it, it was hard to ignore. I look back at my dear little brother, who has his own gaze directed at the ground.

 _And he's none the wiser. And if what Komachi has told me about these two other girls, Iroha-san isn't the only one._

I don't know how to feel about this revelation. I should be happy. Most older sisters would happily tease the life out of their younger siblings if they had a chance to interact with their crush, yet here I am, torn about whether or not this is a good thing at all considering my brother's past.

 _He deserved better than what that Orimoto girl did to him._

I don't want another repeat of that. If any of these girls are even entertaining the idea of pursuing him, for their own sake, they better be serious. They'd better be genuine.

I grasp Hachiman's hand as we near our house. He's startled at first, glancing at me, embarrassed, before he returns my grip with an affectionate little squeeze.

My heart melts at that.

"I love you, Hachiman," I can't stop the words, surprising even myself before I decide to just continue. "And I'll try my best to never let you down again. Remember that, okay?"

He goes red and looks anywhere but at me.

"Idiot," he mumbles. "Don't go saying stuff like that aloud in public. Especially to someone like me."

I can only giggle in response. "I know. It's because it bugs you that makes it really worth saying. You're so cute when you're flustered."

 _But I mean it, Hachiman. I never want you to feel used or unloved or worthless like you did when that girl rejected you. If anyone is going to get close to you..._

Hachiman lets a minuscule smirk show on his face as he replies. "You'll never stop teasing me, will you?"

"Nope!"

 _They're gonna have to go through me._

* * *

 **[1] Super Metroid final boss, Mother Brain is pretty much scripted to be unbeatable without the Hyper Beam**

 **I'm so sorry. I'm, what three, four weeks late? Sorry.**

 **Real life's a bitch and that, coupled with writer's block makes for delays**

 **I'll try to be better about that, really, I hate making you wait, especially seeing how many favourites and follows this is getting.**

 **No review responses this time. Sorry, but just finishing this was hard. Don't have the strength for it.**

 **I hope this was worth the wait.**


	4. Chapter 4

The past few weeks have been nice.

I've been able to spend time with my beloved younger siblings. It's amazing really, how one can feel the strangest arrangements and mixtures of emotions when in the company of those who are dear to them but whom they've not had the chance to interact with for long periods of time. I say this in reference to the swell of pride I feel whenever Komachi's more subdued, mature side peeks out from beneath her youthful cheerfulness, and how it clashes yet somehow blends with a sort of wistfulness born from a small desire to never see her change.

Simply being an older sibling can be surprisingly sobering.

Of course, such occasions in regards to Hachiman are not always so kind.

I know he's said over and over again that he's forgiven me... but even if that is what he believes to be true, his subconcious actions suggest otherwise every now and then.

At least, I hope that _isn't_ what his actions suggest, and that he's used to pushing away just about everyone. In which case, things are worse than I'd thought.

I'm getting ahead of myself. Stick to one track, Tomoka, or you'll lose your train of thought.

Where was I?

Oh yeah. He barely spends any time with me. Komachi mentioned that he does come out and hang around different rooms in the house every now and then, primarily the living room because of the TV. But the first four, five days? I couldn't have counted the number of times he came out and hung around for more than ten minutes on more than one hand.

I didn't mind at first. It's been a few years, and, even before he became such a pessimist, sticking to such routine habits was his thing.

But it's still going on.

I know he's not doing it intentionally, no way, Hachiman's not like that. We used to always be together, whether it was studying or reading or just sitting together. We never needed to talk, just enjoyed the company, but now... not even that. Not unless I make him go out with me to shop or some other menial chore we must do together.

I... I don't want to press the issue. I know he's not being as open with me as he used to be. Our conversations are far too curt. While I can still see the care he has for me in his eyes, it's dulled a bit.

Then again, his eyes in general have dulled.

I can't complain. I left when he needed the company more than any other time. I'm lucky he still acknowledges me with any sort of affection.

I may as well enjoy what we have now. This was never going to be easy, I've always known that.

Baby steps.

I try not to sigh, stretching my arms a bit before laying back down on the couch, head limp as it hangs over the armrest, eyes glued to the TV screen.

All three of us are here, Komachi with her chin in her palm, legs crossed beside me and Hachiman slouching in the single, watching some weird cooking special, which is currently educating us on the benefits of plastic wrap over tinfoil.

Daytime television is awful. No wonder most of the population in the world has retreated to the internet. At least Hachiman and Komachi are here to suffer alongside me. None of us have said much to each other besides a greeting and an agreement between Hachiman and I not to go out today. There's a sort of comforting solace in a shared silence when it comes to us Hikigayas. We're an odd people. And their shared desire for a day of inactivity is understandable. I'm rather tired today, but these two go back to school starting tomorrow. I'm excited to see Komachi start highschool, but once again feel that odd sadness at seeing her grow.

Feelings are weird.

I get up, stretching my arms again. "I'm thirsty. Anyone want something from the kitchen?"

Komachi mutter a no, shaking her head. Hachiman raises a hand and requests another Maxx coffee.

I shake my head as I make my way to the kitchen. Drinking as much of that stuff as he didon a daily basis couldn't _possibly_ be healthy.

Once I'm in the kitchen, I grab a glass, set it on the counter and open the frisge, ducking my head into it to scout out the orange juice. Komachi better not have finished it again.

As I search for the ever elusive OJ, I hear something behind me.

 **Bzzzt**

Hm?

I turn to find the source.

Komachi's phone? Must've vibrated after she got a notification.

Back to the fridge!

…

Wait a moment!

I shut the fridge and scoop up Komachi's phone. My apologies in advance, my sweet imouto, but I've always been the curious type! I know for a fact that you've set your phone to vibrate only when you receive a text message. Hachiman and I are out of the question and, with you as a budding young flower, I must see more about who it is you're spending your time with during your more social ventures! I may not know what you've said throughout the conversation due to the password on the phone but I can see the message you just received on the lock screen at least.

...

Now let's see here...

 **Message received from: Taishi-kun**

 **Okay! See you at the cinema in half an hour!**

…

Who the Hell is Tai-

WAIT. Brainwave!

I recall a small exchange between Komachi and a friend of hers as we departed from their home after I went to pick her up from her sleepover.

Cue the Flashback!

" _See ya, Komachi-chan!:Text me more details on Taishi-kun, will you?"_

" _T-there's nothing to tell, Kuso-chan!"_

" _You're totally blushing right now! You're so in love with him!"_

…

OH MY SNAP. KOMACHI'S BEEN TEXTING A BOY! AND PLANNED TO MEET HIM IN HALF AN HOUR!

"Eek!" I squeal in excitement. This is so exciting! My darling imouto's first romance! Ah! I've been waiting for this moment sever since I found out I would be getting a baby sister! I need to know more!

I run into the living room, a euphoric bounce in my step, and plop myself next to Komachi, catching the both of them off guard.

"What the-" is all I here from Hachiman before I launch into verbal overload, everything spilling out in one breathe, one disgusting mess that makes the educated portion of my brain frown in disappointment.

"OhmygodKomachiyou'vebeentextingaboyandplanningtomeethimforhowlongnowanddidn'timmediatelytellmehowcouldyouandwhatareyouplanningtowearandhowlonghaveyouknownthisboyandthere'ssomanyotherthingsIwannaaskyoubutyou'veonlygothalfanhourbeforeyouhavetomeethimsowe'dbetterhurryupandgetyoureadyandthenafterwardsyoucantellmeallaboutyourdateandwecanfinallyhaveabiggirltalkthatisassuminganyone'sgivingyouthetalkatallinwhichcasewe'llhavemoretotalkaboutandohmygodIstillcan'tbelievethisishappening!"

I immediately take a breathe after the last of... whatever that abomination was is over with. Komachi takes a second to try and take in what I said, eyes wide in surprise. In the end though, all she can manage is an adorable, "Huh!?"

I can only sigh.

"Oh, Komachi-chan, my adorable imouto, I'm referring to the young man you've agreed to meet at a cinema in approximately half an hour," I say, pointing at her phone, which I held in my other hand so she could see the text. Her eyes somehow widened further at that. I wiggle my eyebrows suggestively as I continue. "Who is this 'Taishi-kun,' Komachi? Could you tell me more about him?"

Komachi barely gets a word out before we hear a strangled choke come from elsewhere. The two of us turn to the source of the sound, our silly brother, as I let the irritation show on my face. I'd rather not delay our discussion on Komachi's little rendevous, especially for anything Hachiman's about to say.

I don't get the time to properly register the look on his face as he suddenly speaks in a hushed tone, eyes narrowed at Komachi.

"Komachi," he starts, sounding like he's trying not to explode. "What _exactly_ is she going on about? Are you really going to go meet with that bug?"

Oh my, now I understand Komachi's constant jests in regards to you possibly being a siscon for our dear imouto, little brother. It isn't natural to get so tense after hearing about your younger siblings little... dalliances.

What am I saying? After that display with Iroha-san, I can't talk.

Komachi takes it in her stride, wearing a playful little smile, that little fang of hers peeking out from the corner of her cheeky grin as she taps her chin with her finger in mock thought.

"Maayyybe," she says, clearly enjoying Hachiman's agony at the idea of her on a date. "Who knows? It might be a date, it might not be. We were just going to hang out. I still don't understand why you dislike Taishi-kun so much, Onii-chan."

Hold on...

"Hah? You know who this 'Taishi' person is, Hachiman?" I ask. I already have a grasp on his opinion of Taishi, which means he's nice enough for Komachi to keep around...

… or he genuinely believes Komachi has an interest in him.

Ha! I'd want that to be true just to see his reaction!

"Oh I know him," Hachiman's gaze darkens, somehow making his eyes look more dead than usual. "I know he's an annoying little roach who isn't worth even _thinking_ of being in the presence of our sister here."

The words were probably meant to hurt Taishi's image, but Komachi's smile only grew wider.

"That's nice, Onii-chan," she says, her face and tone indicating how blatant a lie that was. "But, in the words of the lovely Yukino-san, 'No one asked for your opinion, you beastly pesk.' Nee-chan wanted to know if you were familiar with Taishi-kun, not your views on him."

…

Wow. The more I hear about this Yukinoshita girl, the more forward I look to our meeting. She sounds like she's got quite the cutting wit. I love being around people like that. Always fun banter to be had or heard around those types.

"Gah! How dare you, Komachi, bringing up an insult that Ice Queen would use against me!" Hachiman exclaims. "How low. That's definitely low in Komachi points!"

"Wait, wait, wait! I indirectly informed you of this development, Hachiman," I butt in. "And seeing as I did you such a service, doesn't that mean I should get some bonus Tomoka points?"

"Hoh, don't try and distract me from the issue at hand with your strange yet ultimately inferior adaptation of the Komachi point system!" Hachiman quickly responds, before returning his attention to Komachi.

I frown again. _'Ultimately inferior?'..._

I take a second to come back from the (indirect?) insult, failing to hear the rest of my baby siblings exchange words. I snap out of it fast enough to catch Komachi move.

"Well, as nice as it would be to sit here, banter with you two and watch boring old TV," Komachi rises from her seat, stretching her arms, and it's only then that I notice she's a little more dressed up than usual. "I have some socialising to do."

She makes a beeline for the door, grabs her shoes, turns around and gives us a little wave, that cheeky grin still on her face.

"See ya! I'll text once I'm on the way home, 'kay?"

She doesn't wait for a response, both of us too stunned as she turns back to the door, opens it and leaves.

 _Wow_. _She's lucky I'm not more like Okaa-san or I would've pushed her out the door and stomped on her ankle so she couldn't walk away after pulling a stunt like that._

"... You're going to follow her, aren't you?" I ask, raising an eyebrow at Hachiman.

"... I don't know," he admits, looking annoyed. "I want to go and make sure that roach keeps away from her, but I know you'll follow me and complicate things with your little starry-eyed fantasies of Komachi finding the love of her life."

I tap my chin in thought. "You present a good argument for both sides. And you don't need to act all macho and play the whole 'big brother templar' angle. If this Taishi kid needs to be scared off, I can do that."

My rebuttal is met with silence.

I glance in Hachiman's direction. He's just staring at me with a look of disdain mixed with incredulity.

"What?"

"... Nothing," he responds, turning away and getting up, making his way to the door. "Just can't believe you still use that stare of yours."

"You act like my stare's as bad as Fluttershy's," I scoff at him, following him to the door and putting my shoes on. "I'm not threatening any harmless animals, just horny millennials."

He freezes at my words, hand on the door knob, before he turns his head to glare at me. "No My Little Pony references. My day's going bad enough already."

Dayum. He must've been taking notes when we met Iroha-san. Still, not on my level yet, Hachiman!

I raise my hands in mock surrender. "Fiiiine," I whine, before a mischeivous grin makes its way to my face. "I'll stick to hentai references then. It'll be fun to see what you manage to pick up."

He shakes his head in disgust, opening the door and stepping out. "And _I'm_ called the pervert."

* * *

"Komachi-chaaaaaan!"

"Oi. You really need to yell that much? Last thing I want is for more people to notice me."

"Do _you_ wanna call for her, then, Social Butterfly-san?"

"... no."

"Well, then, shut your mouth! Mou, how have we not spotted it! I've got friends with closets bigger than this!"

So, Hachiman and I are just hanging around the inside of the nearby cinema. I'll admit I was a little worried about where exactly Komachi would've gone to meet this 'Taishi-kun,' but Hachiman confirmed (through gritted teeth, I might add) that she had already met up with him ("-and other mutual friends," he'd also added in a sour tone) in the past at this particular cinema. It was a cozy little thing, decently sized for a place that was locally owned and operated. The place had apparently been opened during my time away.

While I would've normally loved to scope the place and mark it down as a potential place to visit in the future, I was a little more preoccupied with the fact that Komachi was no where to be seen. And I was slowly transitioning from "I-hope-she's-okay-and-nothing-bad-happened" worried to "I'm-five-seconds-from-calling-the-cops" worried.

Guess Hachiman saw that coming, seeing as he asked me for my phone when we didn't immediately see her and still hasn't returned it.

Honestly, I hope we didn't miss them. I was getting rather excited about mee-

HOLD UP.

There she is! My adorable imouto-chan talking with some boy who looked to be around her age with short grey hair and turquoise eyes

"There they are!" I holler, pointing before taking off in their direction, my excitement forcing me to move before I can wait for confirmation that Hachiman knew where I was headed.

"Komachi-chan! How dare you disappear like that!" I exclaim dramatically, pointing an accusing finger at my sister, catching her by surprise with my sudden appearance.

"Tomo-nee, you followed me?"

"Of course I did! I couldn't just let you go off like that, not when our brother seems so adamant about you _not_ going."

The boy standing behind her catches my eye and I step forward so as to greet him.

"Hello!" I give off my best smile. Boyfriend or no, I'd like to give off a good impression. "I am Hikigaya Tomoka, Komachi's nee-san. And you are?"

The boy blinks at me for a second, taking in my appearance. I struggle to keep my eyes from rolling. Teenagers are annoying with their raging hormones, sure, but considering what I got up to at high school, can I really judge?

"Hi, I-I'm Kawasaki Taishi, I'm a friend of Komachi-chan's. It's nice to meet you," he gives a short bow. Nice. "I've heard a bit about you from your sister."

I don't get to reply as Taishi looks past me and says, to my utter shock, "Onii-chan!"

I turn in time to see Hachiman, whose eyes seem to stare at the younger boy with nothing but complete disgust. "For the last time, stop calling me that, bug."

Ooh, I see an oppurtunity for some teasing now.

"Onii-chan, huh?" I say, a smirk on my face and my hands on my hips. "Already given the boy your blessings, have you?"

His head whips in my direction this time, but his glare has no effect on me. He begins to say something but stops when he sees me wiggle my eyebrows, turning back to the other two and ignoring me. Guess he's done trying to get me not to mock him for now.

"And what _exactly_ did the two of you plan on doing today?"

The Taishi boy gives off a small shrug in response. "We were just gonna hang out and catch a film, Onii-chan."

"What!?" They weren't going on a date?! "I thought you two were going on a date!"

"Yeah!" Hachiman's suddenly agreeing with me. "And quit calling me that! Besides, how am I supposed to know you aren't lying to me and planning to go on a date once we leave?"

"Ooh, that would be amazing!" I cut in, my strange fantasies causing me to stop Taishi before he can respond. "Two lovers forced to hide their pursuit of happiness together amidst their romance-tinged rendezvous. That would be so thrilling!"

"And people call me disgusting," Hachiman's probably giving me another look. I ignore him and grab for Taishi's hand, catching him by surprise as I pull him towards me so that he is standing right before me, his hand clasped between the two of mine.

"I'm not saying you _are_ going out with my sister," I say, staring deeply into his young grey eyes. "But I am _totally_ not against the idea of you and her being in a relationship, and if you are only thinking about it, then I am more than happy to give you both the moral support you may need in order to go on a proper date!"

"... what is this about a date?"

All four of us turn in the direction of the new voice to see a gir-

…

…

…

 _Wow._

Long silvery-blue hair tied into a ponytail that somehow still managed to reach her thighs. Strikingly fierce turquoise eyes. An adorably curved frown that gave off the impression of someone lovable yet detached. An outfit that suggested the wearer was a tomboyish delinquent in every stereotypical sense one could imagine. And that shirt did little to hide the large... bounty that lay beneath it...

Who was this... angel?

The Angel's eyes widen slightly at the sight of some... something next to me, it's probably not import-

"Hikigaya? What're _you_ doing out here?"

 _Oh my._

Even her voice sounds amazing. I could listen to such deep sounding notes for days on end, my god.

Wait a second.

…

 _She_ knows Hachiman? Hachiman knows _her_?

I do my best to catch up with the conversation and notice it's shifted back to the subject of Komachi and Taishi, the latter trying his best to convince his sister of something.

"-think I didn't hear what the older chick said, Taishi. I'm not deaf, she definitely said dat-"

"I promise, Onee-chan, I'm not going on a date with Komachi, I swe-"

Oh? This delicious looking specimen is Taishi's older sister? Wait, if she knows Hachiman, she's probably around his age!

Damn it. I can't hit on some teen, even if I'm only, at most, four years her senior.

What am I talking about? This is Japan! Of course I can hit on her!

Before I can do so, however, my attention is brought back to my own siblings as I catch a fraction of their exchange.

"-weren't seriously considering _dating_ that bug, were yo-"

"-really rich hearing you call someone worthless-"

"What was that?"

Oh, it's the Angel again! I haven't even learned your name and yet already you enchant me!

"What was what?" Hachiman frowns at the Angel, something that should by all accounts be illegall and immoral.

"What your sister said," she continues, stepping towards the three of us, Taishi behind her. "Did I hear you right? Did you call my brother 'worthless?'"

There's a sense of danger in that voice now. I can see her brother give off a small shiver behind her, as if he could sense a storm brewing, could already feel it's chill. Hachiman seemed slightly put off by the sound if how he leaned away from her slightly was any indication. But whereas the males present were intimidated, I couldn't help but feel excited. So she was scary _and_ overprotective of her siblings?

This woman was made for me to worship.

"Yeah, no offence, uh..." Hachiman trails off, tilting his head to the side as if trying to recall something.

"Kawasaki Saki," Komachi quickly whispers into his hear, loud enough for me to hear.

Hachiman quickly picks up where he left off, clearing his throat. "No offence, Kawasaki, but I'd rather my sister didn't go out with your brother."

Kawasaki Saki, huh? A little repetitive, sure, but it's a charming little thing.

"Hah?" Her eyes narrow at that. "He suddenly not good enough for your sister? If anything, it's the other way 'round!"

…

Did she just-? Oh, Hell no.

I don the scariest smile I can muster and step in before either of my siblings can.

"I'm sorry," I'm almost repulsed by the sweetness in my voice. My attraction to her is showing, dial it back a little, Tomoka! "But did you just imply that my sister isn't worthy of Taishi here?"

Saki-chan gives me a look over. I try not to blush, suddenly self-conscious. _Get a grip, Tomoka, she's younger than you!_

I steel my resolve, determined not to stand by and have one of my siblings put down before me, and put up a cold front.

"How do I know _your_ little brother isn't trying to seduce my innocent imouto? Komachi-chan told both Hachiman and I that she would be spending time with him, but it sounds to me like he mentioned no such thing to you. Perhaps he isn't as honest with as you think he is?"

Maybe that was hitting a little below the belt, as I can attest for all affectionate older siblings that nothing stings like the accusation of not knowing your siblings like you think you do or not being as close with them as you claim to be.

I shouldn't talk, really, with how things between Hachiman and I were pretty much non-existent for a while there.

Saki-chan's eyes widen slightly at the accusation, blinking in confusion for a second.

"Hah? 'Imouto?' Your Hikigaya's sister?" Her eyes narrow. I am getting way too excited over this. "And what'd you just accuse my brother of? I've heard how sneaky your own sister can be, how do you know _she_ didn't plan to take advantage of my brother?"

Okay, you can be as attractive as you wanna be, that doesn't mean you can get away with saying that!

* * *

"Uhh.. nee-chan?"

I wouldn't bother, Komachi, Tomoka's got that look on her face again. I don't know the exact reason behind why it took too long, I honestly expected it the first time Kawasomething badmouthed Komachi, which is why I didn't say anything, no point adding to the situation, but I'm guessing it must've been something about Kawasuzi that stunned her.

But I guess that last one was the last straw for Tomoka because she looks like she's ready to tear her down.

Aaaaaand I think that's my cue to leave. I hear Tomoka speak as I turn away.

"And what kind of older sister does that make you if you aren't exactly aware of what your younger siblings are up to?"

The spark I sensed has now grown into a full on fire, taking evasive action.

"Hah?"

Before I get away completely, I hear footsteps behind and turn my head back to see Komachi and that bug trying (and failing) to subtly follow me, clearly not eager to see the two older sisters clash. I open my mouth to tell them to leave me alone so I can successfully get away but I see Tomoka and Kawasuka both catch us trying to get away.

"Taishi? Where do you think you're going?!"

"Hey! I'm fighting for you here, why are you leaving?!"

They both give chase.

I speed up, breaking into a jog. No need for subtlety now.

I don't need to turn around to know the five of us are all running now, Komachi, the bug and I away from our respective older sisters while they try to keep with us. I'd complain about the ridiculous of the situation if wasn't so... Tomoka...

Heh. Nice to know things like this are still the same.

* * *

 **I apologize for the wait. I had a clear outline for this chapter but it wouldn't come out properly. Add on a bunch of crappy stuff happening and it was just too much.**

 **One of our dogs died. That this was meant to be a more cheery chapter made it hard to write as I've barely been in the mood and I hope it doesn't show.**

 **I'm getting a lot better, E3 provided a good distraction and that 'Jump Up, Super Star' song from the newest Mario Odyssey trailer helped a lot. This thing pretty much wrote itself for the past few days.**

 **Hope this was worth the wait. Have a nice day.**


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